7.3 uric acid level is on high-ish side of the normal range but not all that bad. Besides, there are many people with much higher uric acid levels who never get gout. Go figure.

Also, 7.3 was the reading on the day the test was done, as you point out. Those levels can jump around during a day and month, and to get an average reading you should probably have tests done over several months.

I couldn't find information on purine content of whey, but a nutrition-selling website
http://www.bulknutrition.com/p4617_Econo_W hey_Protein_Scifit.html,
claims their whey powder is purine-free,so probably all whey powders are either purine-free or have a low content.

According to
http://home.bluegrass.net/~jclark/alkaline _foods.htm, whey protein powder is an "alkalizing protein," meaning it contributes a bit toward making the body more alkaline rather than more acidic. This would be a good thing because it would help dissolve whatever excess uric acid you have so that it can be excreted.

I would think more about other things I'm digesting rather than just whey powder. Acidic vs. alkaline should be an important consideration. For example, meats, especially red meats, are quite acidic. Most vegetables and fruit are alkaline. The acidic/alkaline table at http://home.bluegrass.net/~jclark/alkaline _foods.htm website is pretty detailed.

There is a discussion on just what you are asking about on a bodybuilding website:
http://www.schwarzenegger.ca/forum/about22 31.html. It deviates from the whey powder issue into general guidelines on dealing with gout, but it's got some good information.

Hi Stan,
Thanks for the feedback and the information. I originally went to my foot doc complaining of heel and arch pain (plantar fascitis?). I still may have PF, but it may all be related to Uric Acid.

On a side note, I had also gone to my GP and she recommended Celebrex for joint pain. I'm glad that I didn't start using the Celebrex yet because I may be able to get rid of the pain by diet!

My foot doc found that I have no RA, but that my Uric Acid count (on that day) was "high normal" - 7.3. I've had foot pain for years and on some occasions some severe ankle swelling and big toe pain (both feet). My past doctors diagnosed me with Edema, but this may have been that and high Uric Acid! I know that it's hard to say since I have no blood draws from those incidents.

Anyway, thanks so much for the help. I started a more vegetarian diet yesterday and today I feel better. I'll report in over the next few days on another thread.

Cheers!

For you own peace of mind, try to convince your GP or podiatrist to get a test for gout. They draw some fluid from the suspicious joint (it doesn't hurt) and send it to a lab where they look at it with some special light to see if there are UA crystals there. This is *the* only effective test for gout.

Otherwise you'll never know if you have gout or something else (it could be some other form of arthritis or pseudo-gout or ...). If you do have gout, you'll have to be more careful with your diet. But you should find out what you got in any case.

Hello:

I have had approx two gout attacks per year for the last 10 years. I sarted getting them more frequently when I was trying to lose about 30 lbs (I am about 200 now). When I was trying to lose weight, I would take protien powder suppliments in order to stave of hunger pangs. During that time, I would have more frequent gout attacks (more than the 2/year).

I laid off the protien powder, ate more fruit and vegetables, stayed away from copious amounts of meat and exercise regularly.

I have not had a gout attack since!(no biannual attacks either!) That's been over a year ago. If anyone can learn from my mistakes and save themselves pain from gout, then this post may be of benefit to someone who may be suffering by trying to do something "good" for themselves.